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Some people just want to ruin Christmas...

So, we have our house done up in these blue L.E.D lights, they're beautiful, and we keep them on all the time (L.E.D.'s barely any energy use at all!).

Well, last week, one string on our mailbox dissapeared. It had been stolen, and we were like 'bummer' but we figured it was just some kids playing a prank. No big deal. My dad then put zip ties connecting all the wires together, and some sensors that would set off a tone in the house to tell us if anyone was out there.

We thought we were good until Wednesday morning. We woke up and FOUR (yes FOUR) strings of lights were gone off of our row of trees. We saw footprints... it looked a like one guy. Usually kids would do something like that in groups... now we're mad.

So, my dad put up MORE sensors, and some cameras. And now, just last night at 10pm, we were all in the house, lights on -you could see that we were come. I heard the motion sensors go off. I peeked out the window and saw a car driving by a little slowely -I figured it was nothing, as the cars are usually doing that because the road is covered in snow pack, and people like to drive by slowely to stare at our lights.
So, I figured it was just the car tripping the sensors, and I went back and resumed playing HL2. I heard it again. I started towards the window to peek again, and I hear my mom in the bedroom screaming "He's out there, he's taking the lights, go out there, get dad!"

I was just a few steps to the window, so I looked out, and I saw a tall young guy, in a black hoodie turn towards the house and take off running. So I ran out the front door and screamed at him. He was already gone by the time we could get out there....

So bold... it was only 10 pm.... 10 pm! The lights were on in the house. We were obviously there! I am just so sick about this. What kind of person does these things? Risks criminal charges for strings of $7 lights???

This doesn't help any in my family's peace of mind either, since our house was burgled 2 years ago... cars stolen, ect. All while we were away. And now this guy steals our Christmas lights while we're home?

Re: Some people just want to ruin Christmas...

Augh, thats crazy, I cannot believe people do that. Seriously do they not have any morals. I am sorry being robbed is such a scary thing, or even when strangers are on your property. A couple years ago we had people on our farm let our horses out of the gate, they even let Annie who was confined because of an injury out of her pen. My dad woke me early because the horses were out in the feild, so I had to get up and go round them up. Thank God that they never went onto the road. Its an eary feeling to think that people do such a thing and that hey lurk around at night. Augh just thinking about it gives me shivers..

Jaden I really hope that the person who was robbing you will not come back, I think the chances of him coming back are pretty slim because he knows that you guys know that he was there. Good job at scaring him away

Re: Some people just want to ruin Christmas...

Last year on the news a young family put out one of those inflatable Santas and his 4 year old was thrilled to death. The next day they found someone has slashed it with a knife. Dad patched it and put out a camera. They caught the guy in action as he came back and viciously attacked the Santa. His photo in action landed his butt at the police station. He did it because he thought it was fun. Had a lot of fun when is folks and to come down and bail him out as well as him having to replace the inflatable Santa he slashed.

This is the thrill rush some kids get now days, to steel when your at home only adds to the high of the rush that they got away with it. Did your camera get the car license plate? If so turn it in to the cops.

===

Same thing sort of in a slightly different venue. For a few years someone was having a good old time driving their cars through folks yards, running over mail boxes or pulling the brick mail boxes over. I have a very long lot, about Ĺ an acre. One night I heard the cars wheels squealing out front. Apparently the boys in 2 cars were playing follow the leader driving through my front yard. They ran up into by the drive way and one decided he was going to go between my gas light pole and mail box. He didnít see the cement stair case until it was too late. He ripped out the entire under carriage, it my mail box and bounced back 4 feet. Oh did I say that I was tired of having my mail box run over so I took a 4 inch casing pipe off one of my oil leases, buried it 3 feet in the ground and filled it with cement? (Thatís pipe is make to withstand 2,000 lbs of pressure) The box was destroyed, but the pole was only pushed over 4 inches. He also sheered off the gas pole at the base. I placed an emergency call to the gas company because I didnít know where the shut off valve was. I also called the police to file a property damage report.

These were Pakistani folks and his mom was peeved and having a fit beyond all believe that I the police. ďHeís a good boy, never in trouble.Ē I told her you mean he has never been caught getting into trouble before. He had a really expensive limited edition sports car that was totaled. The wrecker pulled it out of my yard the next morning.

I kind of like granddad though. His attitude was more along the line of itís about time this kid had his chain yanked back.

Itís amazing that was years ago and the neighborhood has not experienced yard or mailbox damage since!

Re: Some people just want to ruin Christmas...

But think of it this way, Maybe they don't have anything at all and wanted to decorate their home for a child

If that isn't the case then that's just a very low down person!

Did it show up on the video camera's your dad put up? I'd report it to the cops so they'll be on the look out when they do their nightly checks

I highly doubt it that they just wanted Christmas lights for their kid -in any case it doesn't make it any less wrong to go stealing from us. It's the same no matter if it's some guy that wanted some strings of lights for his kid, or some guy that just wants the lights for himself. And if it WAS for someone's kid, and he just wanted to make his little kid happy, I think he would have stopped with the 1st one he took of the mailbox. I'm sure his kid would have been thrilled with that one.

The car had nothing to do with the person that was trying to steal the lights. But they might have seen the person, and were slowing down looking at him.
No, the bandit is definantly on foot. Shame that it wasn't a fresh snow. We could have easily tracked him to his house. We should have gotten our neighbors with the S&R GSD's to help us track him down. If anything, that would freak him out, LOL, two GSD's on his heels....
We weren't recording at the time, anyhow... now we are... we had bought videotape for that very reason that very night. (we couldn't see car liscense plates if we wanted to though).

The person I saw was obviously a younger guy. Healthy, wide shoulders, tapered torso. Black hoodie. But that's not much of an I.D.... We almost called the police... but what would we tell them? They don't really do checks like that around here.

Re: Some people just want to ruin Christmas...

There was just an article in the local paper about a group of guys running around stealing christmas lights because they sell the scrap metal inside. In the article they mentioned a lot of people stealing Christmas decorations and tossing them up on to ebay and craigslist.

Re: Some people just want to ruin Christmas...

wow....I can't believe he came back....how insane. I really do think now though that since you did actually see him...*he doesn't know that you didn't see his face* then I don't think he will be back. If he does come back though he would be pretty dumb. There used to be this show called America's Dumbest Criminals....and I think this guy would be at the top of the list. Good job for scaring him away...and I would actually call teh police and just do a phone report...so they have something on record. Because he may have hit other houses too, and if by chance the cops do catch him he could be charged with all of the lights, not just the ones that the police know about. Anyways, good luck with this, and I hope he stays away now...

terri

Our crystal tears now fall upon the ashes, but from the dust shall grow a new spirit, to be one in compassion for those who are lost, and one in determination to break those who dare test our resolve to be free.